Not Alone
by laxwriter
Summary: One shot. "Noah you're covered in blood." "It's not mine. It's…Oh God."


A/N: wrote this a little before Not Good Enough, so some similarities. Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Glee and its characters are the property of FOX and the creators.

**Not Alone**

He didn't know how he got to the door he was now standing in front of, he wasn't even sure if this is where he should be, but he didn't know where else to go, who to talk too. She seemed like the best person but she could also be the last person he should be talking too. As he raised his hand and knocked on the door, he knew that everything rested on the decision that he'd just made.

The door yanked open, "Noah…Oh God what happened?" The older woman with long dark brown hair and equally dark brown eyes shrieked as she pulled him into the apartment. Noah didn't know what to say, so he didn't. Her eyes were stuck on the stain on the front of his shirt. Looking down he noticed that his hands were covered just as much as he shirt.

"Noah, Noah talk to me, are you hurt?" She was tentatively touching he chest, looking for the source of the stain.

"Not mine." He mumbled. His legs felt week and he just wanted to sit.

"What? Noah you're covered in blood."

"It's not mine. It's…Oh God." He shook his head. His strength gave and he grabbed on to the kitchen table.

"Noah, look at me." The woman order and he did as he was told, focused on her eyes. They were so much darker than the light hazel ones he'd been gazing into not twenty minutes earlier. But that wasn't the only difference. These eyes, though filled with worry, had life in them, they sparkled with possibility, love, a future. It was a stark contrast to what the hazel eyes had held; hopelessness, regret, guilt, and so much pain it was unbearable to remain looking into those lost hazel eyes. There was not life left in those eyes, no future, and it had scared the shit out of Noah more than the blood had.

"Noah I need you to tell me whose blood this is, they may need help, a doctor."

Noah looked away from the woman as he spoke, "It's Quinn's."

The woman gasped and fell into the seat across from him. Noah glanced up at her, there was disbelief written all over her face. "Noah, that's not funny, if you're messing with me…"

He cut her off by slamming his hand down on the table, "I'm not, Jesus Shelby. I caught her today, in her bathroom. There was so much blood and I didn't know what to do. She just looked up at me and said "I just nicked a small vain, it'll stop soon, it always does" like it was no fucking deal that she was bleeding all over her bathroom. I panic grabbed a towel and pressed it on the wound. She started crying then and I just held her." Noah shook his head, "I tried to take her to hospital but she wouldn't let me. After a while it did stop bleeding. But God Shelby, there was so much."

Shelby, the woman whom he and Quinn had given their daughter too over a year ago, looked white as a ghost, she didn't say anything so Noah kept talking. "She fell asleep after I bandaged her arm up. And I know it's not right, but I had to know, I checked the rest of her body while she slept…" He shook his head, "There were old and new scars all over her thighs and her lower stomach. Shelby she's cutting and from what I can tell, she's been doing it for a long time."

Shelby stood up and walked across the room, to where a picture of Quinn holding Beth stood. Noah didn't know why Shelby had kept it up, considering the bad blood between herself and Quinn, it'd been a month since Shelby banished Quinn from Beth's life after finding out, admittedly from Noah, that Quinn had been trying to frame Shelby as an unfit mother in order to get Beth back. "Jesus, Noah. I don't know what to say, I…Quinn and I, we…"

Noah stood quickly and walked over to Shelby, "I need your help, Quinn needs your help. I didn't know what to do, or where to go, or who to talk to. Somehow I found myself here, please Shelby you have to help." He begged

"What do you want me to do Noah, I am not Quinn's mother, we aren't even on speaking terms."

"But she needs help. This, what she is doing it isn't normal; she sick or depressed or both." He was practically yelling now.

Shelby placed a hand on his arm, "Shh, Beth is asleep." Shelby shook her head, "What about Quinn's Mom? Why didn't you go to her?"

Noah scoffed, "Like Judy Fabray gives a shit about her daughter. No one thinks it, but I do care about Quinn, and I pay attention when she talks, and let's be honest no one else does. From what Quinn's let slip her mom hasn't been home in a month. Some cruise trip with friends. The only reason Judy Fabray ever took Quinn back was because her husband cheated on her, and she realized it looked worse to kick your pregnant daughter out then to support her. " Noah's voice was full of bitterness, "Quinn has the worst parents I know of. No wonder she so messed up and cutting herself."

Shelby sunk on to her couch, her head in her hand, "She won't accept help from me Noah. I banned her from seeing her daughter for goodness sake. I am the last person to approach her and tell her she needs therapy." Shelby looked up at Noah and sighed, "And she does need therapy. Quinn needs professional help, this, this is bigger than either of us."

Noah felt his anger rise inside himself, "So you aren't going to help. You're just going to let her keep doing this until she kills herself. Is that what you want for Beth? When she asks about her biological mother and where Quinn is, you're just going to say what, sorry honey but your mom was a messed up teenager who killed herself."

Anger flew across Shelby's face, "don't , don't you dare say that to me Noah" she snapped. Then her face softened, "I never said I wouldn't help, I said she wouldn't accept help from me, at least not right away. We need an adult that she trust, that she'll listen too. Who does Quinn listen too?"

Noah rubbed his head, "No one, well she used to listen to Coach Sylvester, but not since sophomore year. And I think she used to really like Mr. Shue but he laid into her earlier in the year."

Shelby nodded, "He told me, but I think we should talk to him. I think if he approaches her about getting help, she might just listen, and then I can help."

Noah sighed and leaned back against the couch, the tightness in his chest lessening just a little, Shelby would help, Mr. Shue too. All he wanted was for Quinn to get better, to become the girl he remember, that he'd fallen in love with so long ago.

"I'll go to Will tonight. You should go back to Quinn; she shouldn't be alone right now. Don't mention you came to me to her when she wakes up. But you need to try and get her to accept help. Be gentle and understanding but firm, Noah. Do you think you can do that?"

Noah didn't take a second to think, "I have too." There was no question about it; he would do anything to help Quinn. This was one thing he refused to mess up, Quinn was too important.

Ten minutes later he was walking back into Quinn's room, she was still under her covers sleeping peacefully, Noah was relieved. Carefully, he slid in next to her, she instantly moved towards him and he pulled her to him so that her head rested on his chest.

"Puck?" she mumbled

"yeah."

"You're still here." Even in her sleepy voice he could tell she was surprised. It hurt his heart that she was surprised that someone would care enough to stay with her. "Where else would I be?"

Suddenly she began to cry and Noah held her tighter. "Shh, I gottcha, you're not alone, never again. Never again I promise" he whispered into her ear as he kissed her forehead.

* * *

><p>It took twenty minutes, four roads, three stop lights, and a stop sign to get to the door he stood in front of. It was the first place he'd thought to come and as he raised his hand to knock on the door he knew the news he had would change everything.<p>

The door yanked open and she stood there, her dark brown hair streaked with grey, her dark chocolate brown eyes lined with crow's feet and laugh lines. "Noah, what are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled him in and hugged him tight. "You should have stayed. You could have called."

Noah shook his head as he walked into the apartment and took of his long coat, "Like this news could be told over the phone? Where is she? Asleep?"

Shelby nodded, "Her cold knocked her right out. So tell me!" Shelby shrieked. Noah smiled at her and opened his mouth to answer when a sweet angelic voice filled the room. It sounded so much like the voice he'd just left. Both full of life and happiness. It was his favorite voice. "Stop I want to hear."

Noah turned to see a little girl, ten years old running towards him. She had long fine blonde hair, hazel eyes, like the ones he loved so much, and flawless ivory skin. She was without a doubt a carbon copy of her mother. Except for her smile, that was gracing her face at that moment, no her smile that came from him. Noah dropped to meet her as she collided into his body giving him a giant hug. "Daddy!" Then she coughed a little. Noah pulled away, "you should be in bed pumpkin."

She shook her head, "No, now tell me is Momma Quinn okay? Did she have the babies?" She was practically jumping up and down in anticipation. Noah laughed, "She is fine and yes she had the babies. You Beth Corcoran are now the proud big sister to a little brother and sister."

Beth's eyes grew wide, "A boy and a girl?" Noah nodded. "That's so awesome. Mom did you hear a brother and a sister." Shelby smiled gently and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "I did. It's great. Do you have a picture, Daddy?" Noah pulled out his camera immediately and handed it over and the two Corcoran girls went over to the couch to look at the pictures. "Oh their beautiful Noah, what are their names?"

"Quinn wanted to tell you, but since you couldn't make it to the hospital because of little miss sicky here," he winked at Beth who just stuck out her tongue at him before turning her attention back to the pictures of her momma, brother, and sister. "She let me have the honor. Their names are Lucas William Puckerman and Catherine Shelby Puckerman."

Shelby's hand went to her mouth and tears filled her eyes, "Oh Noah." Noah shook his head, "It was all Quinn's idea. Wanted me to tell you that we wouldn't be here today, a slightly dysfunctional but happy family if it hadn't been for you and Will, that…" he leaned closer to Shelby so that Beth couldn't hear, "that she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you two, and I can't agree more."

And he really couldn't. Sitting there in Shelby's living room it was hard to believe that ten years had passed since Beth had been born, eight years since Quinn was diagnosed with a severe depression, brought on by an undiagnosed case of postpartum depression, and had gotten the professional help and the family support she needed, and four years since he and Quinn got married. The first two years after Quinn's diagnosis had been tough, and there were days when he felt that she'd never get better. But Quinn was resilient and strong and she pulled through. It was amazing how different she was after getting the right medication and therapy she needed. She was kind and thoughtful, funny and light hearted, ambitious and driven. With Will's, Emma's, Shelby's and Noah's help Quinn finally learned that she was worth something, that there were people who loved her, that she wasn't a disappointment. The one to help Quinn recover the most however had been Beth. A month after Noah had come begging for Shelby's help, the doctors and Shelby agreed that Quinn was stable enough to start spending time with Beth. They started off small, an hour a week and slowly built up time. Eventually Quinn was even able to babysit Beth by herself. It was clear to all how much Quinn loved Beth, and how much happier Quinn was with Beth. The first time Beth had said Quinn's name and ran to her for a hug had been one of the best moments in Noah's life.

Overtime they formed a small family. Quinn and Noah stayed close by going to Ohio State University in Columbus. Quinn majoring education and art, she was now a high school art teacher at McKinley, she also did wedding photography on the side, she was great at it. Noah majored in landscape design and minored in business management and now owned the largest landscaping company in the county. Early on Shelby decided she didn't want to hide Quinn and Noah's relationship to Beth from Beth so Quinn became Momma Quinn and Noah, Daddy. At eight Beth asked the big question of why, and though she was confused at first, she eventually understood. Everyone knew though that they'd likely have to explain again when Beth got older and could understand the situation more. They'd all been so nervous about Beth's reaction to Quinn being pregnant, but the little girl had surprised them and been nothing but excited.

"Daddy?" Beth's voice interrupted Noah's thoughts and he turned to his daughter, "Yes?"

"When can I meet Lucas and Catherine?"

"When you're better. We don't want to get the babies sick." Beth shrugged and went back to the pictures. Shelby got off the couch and walked towards Noah, "How's Quinn?"

"Great, sleeping when I left. I don't think I've seen her smile that much since Beth was born. It was like she was radiating with love and happiness."

Shelby hugged him close, "I'm glad, she deserves it, so do you."

"She's scared though, I can tell, that she'll have postpartum again. Her therapist said it was possible, but not a guarantee and even if she does, they know what to look for and can catch it early." Shelby tightened her arms around him, "I think she'll be fine."

"Me too. I should be going, want to be back before she wakes." Noah squeezed Shelby goodbye before wrangling his camera back from Beth and kissing her goodbye.

Twenty minutes later he was seated beside Quinn's bed.

"Noah?" Quinn's eyes fluttered open. Noah smirked and kissed her hand. "Hey sleepy how are you feeling?"

"Sore." She looked around, "Where are the twins?"

"Nursery sleeping, the nurses will bring them back when it's time to feed them."

Quinn yawned, "Okay." She slid to the side of the bed and lifted up the covers, "join me."

Noah didn't need to be told twice and join his wife in a split second, which caused Quinn to laugh heartily. "I love you Noah." Quinn snuggled closer to him, her head on his chest and she released a content sigh. In that moment Noah was the most content and happiest he'd ever been, with his wife in his arms sleeping peacefully after giving him two more perfect children. "I love you too."


End file.
